There’s a New Pope in Town
On April 21st, the date after Easter Sunday, I awoke to the news that Pope Francis had passed away. May he rest in peace.
When I got up this morning at 5:00 am (Eastern Time, USA) I immediately checked on the status of the conclave as a round of voting was expected between 4 and 6 am. The secular national news channels were covering other news but in the corner of the screen, they have video of the live feed of the chimney from the Sistine Chapel as the world was watching that chimney for smoke.
For our Catholic Church, the election of a new pope, is a profound moment in time but it was not just Catholics watching. Even non-Catholics waited in anticipation for news of who the new pope would be. Why? I suspect it was because we all need hope.
It was not long before black smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel this morning. The world would need to continue to wait and to pray.
I offered daily Mass at 8:00 am followed by a Holy Hour to pray for the cardinals in conclave, asking the Holy Spirit to led them to select the man who God was calling to be the next pope.
Then, we began to anticipate the next round of voting for the new pope. By 11 am I was frequently checking to see if there was more smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.
Then, it came, the white smoke. Habemus Papam!!! We have a Pope! Let us rejoice!
Yes, there was white smoke, but the waiting was not over. I remained at my desk but opened a live feed on my computer to hear who the new pope was. Waiting…it seemed to take a really long time before we would learn that our new pope is an American, born in Chicago, IL (see “Chicago native Cardinal Prevost elected pope, takes name Leo XIV” for a biography).
I had not heard of Cardinal Prevost before today. He is man of multiple nations, born in the United States and ordained as an Augustinian priest here. He served many years in Peru and served the last few years in Rome. Thus, he is a man familiar with multiple cultures. We pray this will serve him well as pope as he seeks to serve people “from every nation, race, people, and tongue” (see the second reading for this coming Sunday, 4th Sunday of Easter, Year C).
Then the office doorbell rang. With the secretary on the phone, I answered the door. It was a TV reporter from WYDC Big Fox news in Corning, NY. He asked the obvious question; would I be willing to be interviewed about Pope Leo XIV. My first response was to say I knew nothing about Cardinal Robert Prevost before his election as pope. He said that was fine and I was interviewed. I think it was a good interview and brought some clarity to my own thoughts. Update: This story in now online – “Watkins Glen priest reacts to first ever American elected Pope.”
A little while later I received a message from another reporter, this one from WENY in Elmira, NY. So, I was interviewed again. (This reporter, Scott Brubaker, happens to be a parishioner and I know his parents and his grandparents on both sides of his family). Update: This story is now online – “Local priest reacts to election of Pope Leo XIV.”
If they choose to use my interviews in their story, you can see that for yourself. Here, I would like to offer some thoughts on some of the obvious questions.
What does it mean to me to have an American pope?
For several hundred years, the popes were all Italians. Starting with Pope St. John Paul II, we are now on the fourth pope born in recent years from outside Italy. John Paul II was from Poland. Benedict XVI was from Germany followed by Francis from Argentina. Now we have Leo XIV from the United States. We are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. We come from many nations yet we are one church. Yet, there is something special about having a pope from our own country.
What do I want to see Pope Leo XIV do?
I have been encouraging people (see “Who Will Be the Next Pope”) to pray not to get a pope who would do what they want. I have been praying myself and encouraging others to pray that the Cardinals, led by the Holy Spirit, select the man God was calling to be the next pope.
I do not know if Pope Leo XIV is liberal, conservative, left, or right. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray thy will be done. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s Will be done. I am sticking with that as I know the world will be much better when God’s Will is followed.
That said, I hope Pope Leo XIV will continue Pope Francis’ openness, inviting all to come to the fullness of faith. God wants everyone to feel welcome in his Church. There are considerations about who can receive Communion (see “The Communion Debate” and “On Non-Catholics Receiving Communion”). God invites sinners to come home to him. We need to welcome sinners with the words Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more” (John 8:11).
The world needs mercy. However, mercy is not mercy without the Truth. As Pope Francis said in Evangelium Gaudium, the methods of bringing the gospel to the world may change but the truth contained in the gospels does not change (43).
God calls us to be a Church that offers hope rather than condemnation. We hear Jesus say, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17).
If we love a person, we want to help them see their sins (Ezekiel 3:17-21). We should hope for friends who will help us realize our sins so that we may leave our sinful ways behind.
What would you like to say to people now that Pope Leo XIV has been elected pope?
Please continue to pray for Pope Leo XIV. He has a big job to do. He needs our prayers every day.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff